Lights Camera Action: Is it MTV or Rage next?

Freedivers Perform in Underwater Music Video

In one of the more outlandish applications of freediving, WaterMaarqFreediving had the unique opportunity to join the Daperis Brothers (Jared Daperis and Daniel Daperis) in a supremely ambitious production of a new music video shot underwater.

Months back WaterMaarq Lead Instructor, Marlon Quinn, had the fortune to chat with Jared Daperis (sometimes referred to as a young Mel Gibson and star of TV programme Underbelly) as Jared searched the local scene for performers that could hold their breath and be natural underwater.

It slowly became apparent that what Jared sought to achieve was a ground-breaking production that really demanded a team of people performing on breath-hold to execute the vision of a new music video. WaterMaarq jumped in and took on the task of sourcing potential talent, providing technical and safety advice for the casting and film shoot plus coordinating the in-water processes for the film takes.

So where do you find people who can act underwater? The search was cast wide – synchronised swimmers, surf lifesavers, even scuba divers had a look in.

Fortunately, the vast majority of interest came from Melbourne’s very strong spearfishing and freediving community. The call went out to the Melbourne Freedivers Club (Marlon Quinn is Club President), a range of spearfishing groups and the WaterMaarq Freediving community and the response drew an immediate spike in hits on the website and Jared’s phone started running off the hook.

A hoard of budding breath-hold performers attended the initial 2-hour long casting session and much to the delight of the anxious Directors, the freedivers took to the water with excitable levels of relaxation. The true test came when the goggles, masks and nose clips came off and it was time to perform the right moves in cloudy chlorinated 3.5m deep water.
A solid cast of 11 performers was selected including around half WaterMaarq certified freedivers, half Melbourne Freediver club members and a synchronised swimmer that’s professionally trained as an actor.

The weeks leading up to the shoot saw the budding cast attend several in-water rehearsals, a full dress rehearsal and count-down to show time. In the background Jared’s team were busy building sets and coordinating all the logistics involved in putting a film shoot together.

The big day arrived, well the big two days actually. Located at Oakleigh’s outdoor 5m deep dive pool, the film set was carefully lowered and constructed in the water under the platform diving tower and springboards. To encourage performer comfort and swift takes, the water temperature was hotted up all the way to 30c, freediving bliss unseen south of the Equator before.

Performers eagerly jumped in the water fully clothed (without a hint of neoprene) as the on-set scuba team moved the props around at 5m deep. The eagerness may have dropped off 5 or 6 hours later as chlorine logged eyes wept and looked through a corneal fog of the mistiest proportions. However, this is showbiz, the show had to go on!

Much to the delight of the cast, two days later with outside temperatures of 12c, storms and intermittent sunshine, hot drinks flowed and sugary treats were scoffed to feed hungry empty breath-hold stomachs. Knowing that the scenes were laid down, shot and digitised, the talent retreated back to their homes, 25m pools and Port Phillip Bay to continue their normal freediving lives.

Whilst the long process of editing and final production continues, we’ll have to wait until later in 2015 before the final cut is released to the public for scrutiny and enjoyment.

Local Melbourne electronic music duo Robert Smith and Justin Hamilton perform as American Doubles and it’s for the launch of their new EP featuring the single “The Swell” that the Daperis Brothers and local freedivers were put to work.

Described as a groove based electro indie pop sound (think ‘Rufus‘), American Doubles are now, along with the rest of the team involved in the production, awaiting the launch of “The Swell” single in full music video media format. We can’t wait to see the result!

You can find links to the Daperis Brothers‘ other work via LateNite Films too.

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Award winning WaterMaarq charters operate from the lovely seaside town of Sorrento on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula. Providing boutique up close wildlife experiences, snorkelling and freediving adventures, you'll discover the beauty of the environment above and below the water. WaterMaarq's personalised approach gives you the confidence to enjoy life-changing freediving and marine wildlife experiences.
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